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ODESSA — Last October was like any other for most Odessa city employees. Parks employees unveiled a new sign. The police department gave a tour to homeschooled kids. A council member attended a fundraising event for culinary students.
But amid everyday responsibilities, top local officials were scrambling to respond to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s demand that they justify a recently approved tax rate hike. The state had just passed a law that prohibited cities from raising taxes without completing financial audits. Paxton had singled out four cities, and Odessa was among them.
